THE TOP SEED: You gotta give it up to Science Park. After years of being overmatched against teams like Pingry, Kinnelon and Whippany Park in the Colonial Hills Conference, the Chargers flourished in the new Super Essex Conference against more suitable competition and some of the credit has to go to that stiff competition of prior seasons. Keeper Barbara Giraldez has given a sense of confidence to her defenders with her stellar play and Joanne Ribeiro is a threat to score any time she gets around the net.

UPSET SPECIAL: And, all that said about Science Park, it must play on top of its game in the opening round against West Essex (4-12). If you were looking for a shining example of why the brackets were opened this year for entrants below .500, search no further. West Essex may have taken its lumps in the American Division of the SEC, but was playing up in class against a predominantly Group 4 and Group 3 schedule. Expect it to play quick, something demanded against its prior opponents, and for Sloan Serpe and Caroline Spry to finish off a strong senior showings by leaving it all on the field.

WIDE OPEN: I'll guarantee that a number of coaches in this section spend some time over the next couple of days convincing their players that this title is attainable. A wide-open field hopefully will produce some wide-open soccer as quality teams like Bernards, Hanover Park, Rutherford, Chatham and defending champion Caldwell
Noah K. Murray/The Star LedgerSam Borges (left) is an instrumental play in Caldwell's drive to a second straight sectional title.train their eyes on the prize.

NO HESITATING FOR WAITE: When Courtney Waite (15 goals) senses a chance to go to goal, the Bernards junior wastes no time in taking the ball on the frame. Her sudden bursts leave defenders in her wake and a bottomless bag of moves on the ball have demoralized some of the tightest markers she's faced.

BEST FIRST-ROUND MATCHUP: The contest between 10th-seeded Chatham and 7th-seeded Rutherford stood out for me. Rutherford (18-5) features Nicole Leonard, a talented athlete and tested finisher (17 goals) while Chatham counters with multi-tasking Ellie Goepel, who is as comfortable defending the ball as she is putting it away.